[SOLVED] SOLVED: MacOS (no discs) / lost master keychain password/macbook

[blackacidevil]

Im new to macs, i have a macbook (8 years old), i need to reinstall the operating system.

I have downloaded some images, but i dont have the orginal discs. the computer was infected with dnschanger virus.

Im unable to make changes, because I dont have the master keychain password, so i assume I have to reinstall.

I only know windows well enough to know all li require to reinstall a windows pc, but not a mac. Do i have everything I need to fix this computer?

There was also a boot disc i saw for macs, which is like hirens, but for the mac systems. anyone remember what it is called.

 

[unksol]

If its your laptop why don't you know the password? We cannot provide assistance bypassing passwords or security

 

[JustSomeJoe]

You need the original install disks, best bet is eBay (I doubt Apple will be able to help); down-loading an install disk caries a huge risk.

 

[Ijack]

There are no MacBooks 8 years old; it was introduced in 2006. If you mean an iBook then you need something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/iBook-G4-Mac-OS-X-Installation-discs-Os-verison-10-3-5-/310422629533?pt=UK_Computing_Software_Software_SR&hash=item4846a16c9d#ht_752wt_64 from eBay, or else a retail version of OS X (depending upon the exact model the latest version it can support is 10.3.9 or 10.4.11). Don't just buy just any old disks from eBay; most of them are model specific and will only work with the model they were supplied with.

 

[blackacidevil]

Well some of the replies were quite interesting.

In regards to the guy who thinks Im trying to bypass a password because this laptop is stolen, thats pretty retarded. Its a customers machine, I don't usually deal with Mac in my business, but there are no mac stores or computer techs in the area and I said I would look at it for him. I've fixed a few before with other issues remotely using logmein.com with my windows system remotely. Yes this is guy is my friend and a customer, and relax, I work on 5 computers/laptops a day.

About downloading the discs off the internet or getting images. I feel like I am on fear factor now, but I'm confident that I'm not taking a risk by downloading images, Im also not going to ebay. The guy has already paid for his operating system, and I'd be more worried about ordering anything off ebay thats a re-sale of an operating system as 8 months ago, Microsoft reported that 45 percent of the operating systems sold through ebay were pirated/not genuine. So I'd advise you not to buy operating systems from ebay if thats what you've done in the past, chances are your taking the risk.
So back to your reply again, go buy the operating system from MAC. My reply to you is, what again? Buy another copy? Thats the stupidest answer i've ever heard next to macguyer back up there, going on about bypassing passwords.

Finally, yes its a macbook. Very cool, you have all the years they came out and maybe its 6 years , not 8 years, or 5 years. Got me! So again, I have a macbook, i dont care what year it came out, i know its older, sorry if I am off by 2 years.

Does anyone here have an answer, or do they just google whatever I type in a search engine, and give me what little information that it returns, like release dates, buy ebay.com,
Give me a break guys, this is tomshardware forum. This is one of the more elite sites, I asked a simple question (as in a straight forward question about something, yet I feel like somewhere along the line , people who've replied don't know the answers, but need to type something in, maybe they'll get selected for best answer), silly. geez
*** EDIT ***

Reading the last guy ijack's profile, then website. I have respect for you after reading your background, ours are alike. Started as well on Chuck Peddle's chip, off to the trammel machine, to various other systems. Ran a BBS for many years (listed in the BBS documentary history numbers), and I used OS/2 Warp to run a multiple node BBS, you asked if anyone remembered OS/2. Remember GeOS for the Commodore 64? I really liked the fact you got into pcs on mr. peddle's chip. He's king!
.

Unbelievable.

 

[Ijack]

You're getting pretty agressive now, which raises suspicions. All Macs are supplied with install disks (well they were in those days -nowadays the software doesn't come on disks) so if the guy has lost his then that's why he needs to buy new ones. OS X disks on eBay are normally genuine, it's just the question of model specific.

From the tone of your attitude I'm inclined to believe now that we are dealing with a stolen machine, so end of.

 

[ss202sl]

Whether the laptop is stolen or not makes no difference. It against forum rules to help bypass passwords period.

 

[JustSomeJoe]

There's a very big difference between an 8 Year Old OS X (as you originally posted) and the actual 8 Month Old... 8 Month old would be OS X Lion which was never shipped on disk, the machine would have a restore partition that allows you to restore/repair the OS via the Web, after your (somewhat insulting reply) I'm finding it hard not reply in kind... The instructions on how to access the restore partition (and associated utilities) are easily available on Apple's support site; go find!

 

[wildwell]

You can also download the OSX Lion Recovery Disk Assistant for free directly from Apple and mount that onto an attached computer and use to install ("recover") Lion onto the laptop in question.

The Recovery Disk Assistant does not contain the full OS though, it's only software used to install the full OS via download, and unless your computer is Lion native, it will require you to authenticate the original Lion purchase via your AppleID.

 

[ish416]

What version of OSX is this computer running? 10.4, 10.5, 10.6?

Also, if you try changing something and it asks for a password, have you tried just a blank password? I had this issue often when I worked at Applecare. It was astounding the number of people who didn't know their password and never tried just leaving it blank.

You could just download the image of whatever OS is currently on that machine and reinstall. There is no license key or any of that crap since OSX will only run on Macs (or hackintoshs).

 

[scottiemedic]

Easiest thing to do is DL an image and reinstall. Now, there is a bit of problem with that though. Only Macs can burn .dmg images, which are usually what they are uploaded as (since they were ripped on a Mac to begin with). I have found no reliable software to burn .dmg in a Windows environment (PowerISO chokes, UltraISO burns it, but inevitably there are bad sectors).

If you download an image, your best bet on a reinstall is to get UltraISO, then first, try to burn the native .dmg image in Ultra. If it doesn't work, Ultra will convert DMG to ISO (you can find a tutorial on google) then try the reinstall that way (I believe you hold down C while the MBP boots).

Not the best of help, but hopefully you will have better luck with DMG than me (I've been DLing images for my Hackintosh Dell 1525, finally had to go with iAtkos S3v2 to get Snow up to burn the DMG for Lion). Unless you know someone with a Mac that will let you burn the DMG image on their machine. Good luck.

 

[blackacidevil]

You're getting pretty agressive now, which raises suspicions. All Macs are supplied with install disks (well they were in those days -nowadays the software doesn't come on disks) so if the guy has lost his then that's why he needs to buy new ones. OS X disks on eBay are normally genuine, it's just the question of model specific.

From the tone of your attitude I'm inclined to believe now that we are dealing with a stolen machine, so end of.

It's no wonder the computer repair industry is in disarray thanks to replies like this. I figured it out and will post the answer.

 

[blackacidevil]

I was able to fix the computer while keeping my attention focused on the computer and not fear mongering about what if's or what about that. The customer was the owner of this machine, and he lives out where there is no mac store within 516km. But before we begin to debate if he stole a machine or if's a thief or if I'm somehow misleading people to think that im bypassing passwords in a malicious manner. I'm not.

I need to repeat, here is my problem, and the poor guy doesn't have a lot of money and his kid's school projects videos are on this machine that they need to give to their teacher. It's an 8 year old computer, no ones going to hit a financial homerun by helping solve a fairly simple password problem for a machine not worth more than 100$.

The correct answer and solution, was quite simple. But this is the very reason customers have a lot of issues with overly steward, out of touch, out of reality tech guys, who know nothing and usually dont know the answer, but still need to say they do but cant help because they are doing it for benefit of everyone. Thank you superman.

The users directory on the mac, is where, like windows , different profile settings are kept. For example, mac and windows machines using profiles (is not cracking passwords, nor is it like getting a bios password), its just a set of environment details and settings about a user.

By deleting the file : The Users\%username%\Library\Keychain\FileVaultMaster.keychain contains the master FileVault password for the system.

this removes the master password (which does not remove what the real user knows are his passwords for specific places/programs/sites), but a master keychain password which is known to be a problem with expliots of websites/whatever being able to change the master, to block you from using your legit passwords.

The OS was mac 10.4 , though my answer will work on all verisons, 10.1 to whatever technically nerdy some of you would be techs need to make me aware of, would make a difference in your answer.

The final problem with the virus or mal software that deemed the internet not usable, which was dns changer. A problem that widely infected 550,000 macs, was fixed thanks to the ability of having removed the master password problem which prevented me from making changes to the computer system preferences and network settings.

But as long as there are people like yourself, that out of touch with real people skills or customer focus, i'll be in business.

Thank you

 

[unksol]

It's no wonder the computer repair industry is in disarray thanks to replies like this. I figured it out and will post the answer.

You can think what you want I suppose. No one suggested it was stolen. You brought that up interestingly enough. The bottom line is you asked for help overwriting an OS because you didn't know the password. No one can verify its your system. No one should have helped you at all as its a violation of forum rules to ask. ANYONE running a computer repair shop would know how to get their hands on an OS image so that alone throws red flags all over the place, as do your responses

 

[das_stig]

Next time your friend has a problem, don't post here.

We don't need or want attitudes like yours !

 

[blackacidevil]

Next time your friend has a problem, don't post here.

We don't need or want attitudes like yours !

Likewise Im not going to continue to add to this post, it's solved.